Vanuatu and Bulgaria to establish diplomatic links

An agreement was reached in Togo's capital between Vanuatu's foreign minister, Ralph Regenvanu, and his Bulgarian counterpart, Ekaterina Zaharieva.

The two ministers are in Lomé, attending the Joint Ministerial Council of the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States.

This is the first meeting of Bulgaria's foreign ministers and Vanuatu, both sides concluded that there are no obstacles to the establishment of bilateral relations. Zaharieva and Regenvanu agreed that there is potential for cooperation, especially within the framework of international organizations.

It was pointed out that, as an EU Member State, we attach great importance to the European Union's relations with developing countries and seek more opportunities for exchange of experience and building closer ties with the small island states in the Pacific. The meeting discussed a number of problems in the Pacific, including the process of decolonization. Despite its small territory, Vanuatu is one of the world's most linguistic and cultural landscapes - the archipelago is known for 113 different languages ​​and dialects. The country is also the first in the world to ban the plastic bags and straws from July 1st.

According to the press centre of Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Ministry, the country already has diplomatic relations with Nauru, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Fiji.